Method of pressing seams formed in shoe parts



April 29, 1941. V M, H ROSKE 2,419,595.

METHOD OF PRESSING SEAMS FORMED INSHOE PARTS Original Filed July 13, 1944 in ventor jYz'ZfonHRos/(e Patented Apr. 29, 1947 METHOD OF PRESSING SEAMS FORMED IN SHOE PARTS Milton H. Roske, Maldenr Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application July 13, 1944, Serial No. 544,728. Divided and this application September 22, 1945, Serial No. 618.004

3 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of pressin seams formed in shoe parts, for example the backseams of shoe uppers. These seams result from the stitching together of the marginal Portions of the quarters of the shoe uppers. The stitching operation is performed with the outer surfaces of the margins of the upper material in face-toface relation, and when the quarters are turned right side out the seam presents an undesirable inwardly extending ridge. It is customary in the manufacture of shoes to employ various devices to flatten this ridge.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of pressing seams of the character under consideration. In accordance with this object, the method, inv one aspect, consists in feeding the work piece, tensioning it transversely of the seam, and pressing the seam while the work piece is being fed under'tension. Such 'tensioning gives a better appearance to the finished work.

The method above referred to can conveniently be carried out upon the machine disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 544,728, filed July 13, 1944, of which the present application is a division. To facilitate an understanding of the improved method claimed in the present application, this machine will be described herein in connection with a drawing illustrating it.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a left side view of the Work engaging portions of the machine upon which the method can be carried out;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the members shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a large scale side elevation of the Work engaging instrumentalities of the machine in operation upon a work piece.

The operating instrumentalities of the machine above referred to comprise a driven seam pressing or seam rubbing roll It of relatively large diameter, a Work support I2, and a pair of driven feed rolls I4 and it. The work is guided to the operating members by a seam crease guide I8 and a seam ridge guide The seam pressing roll I9 is a relatively narrow, disk-like member having a fluted periphery. It is secured upon a shaft 28 journaled in suitable bearings 29 carried by a pair of forwardly extending arms 36 rigidly secured to the frame of the machine, and is driven at high speed by any suitable means.

The feed roll I4 is mounted upon the lower end of an inclined shaft 42 which is journaled and pr ssion, Spfl g 43 surrounding the shaft 42 and interposed between the upper face of the feed. roll I4 and a washer 45 urges the shaft 42 down.

The washer 45 is held against upward movement by engagement with the lower end of a bushing 4| in the bearing 44.

The feed roll I6 is secured upon the lower end of an inclined shaft I8 journaled and longitudinally slidable in a bearing and is held down yieldingly to a stop position by a spring similar to the spring 43;. The rolls I4 and I6 are similarto each other and are positioned on opposite sides of the pressing roll I I), the shafts 42 and 18 being down-. wardly inclined toward each other. The work en! gaging portions of the rolls I4 and I6 consist of rubber pads 88 set into cup-shaped ends of metal holders. The pads 88 have flat end faces which are presented to the work.v These rolls are both driven at the same speed, which is materially less than the speed of the pressing roll Ill. The direction of rotation of the various members is, indicated by arrows on the drawings.

The work support comprises a resiliently supported r011 89 having a cylindrical periphery 90 (Fig. 3), which urges the work with yielding pressure against the rubbing roll I B. The axis of the roll 89 is positioned rearwardly (in the machine) of the common planeof the axes of the feed rolls I4 and I6. The opposite end faces of the roll 89 have conically beveled margina1 portions 92 and 94. The roll 89 is carried by a shaft 96 which is journaled in a pair of spaced ears 98 mounted upon a plunger I00 guided for heightwise movement. A spring (not shown) acting upon the plunger I00 yieldingly urges the roll 89 upwardly to a position determined by a stop I28.

The seam crease guide I8 consists of an upstanding blade-lik member curved about part of the roll 89 and extending close to the locality of operation. The lower end of the crease guide I8 is carried by a bracket I I2 which is secured to the ears Q8. 7

The seam ridge guide 20 (Figs. 1 and 2) consists of an inverted channel or U-shaped member extending close to the locality of operation. The upper part of the guide '20 is straight and is guided for heightwise movement in a guideway H4 secured indirectly to the frame of the machine. The seam ridge guide 20 is yieldingly urged down to a stop position by tension spring I20 having its lower end secured to a pin I22 extending from the guide way H4. The upper end of the spring I20 is secured to a pin I24 on the seam ridge guide 20. Downward movement of the guide 20 is stopped by engagement of the;

upper end of a slot I60 in the guide 20 with a conical end of a screw I62 threaded into the wall of the guideway H4 and having a knurled head. f'

The method which constitutes the subject matter of the present application will now be de- Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The method of pressing a, seam formed by the 'joining of two pieces of sheet material in face-to-fa'ce relation adjacent to the edges of said pieces, which consists in feeding the mascribed. The operator in carrying out this meth-l; iiterial longitudinally of the seam, tensioning the 0d presents to the machine a work piece W hav .7

ing a seam ridge R, holding the work piece in.

inside-out position, with the seam ridge entering the guide 20 and the seam crease lying over the guide l8. The feed rolls l4 and lfiyunder the yielding pressure of their springs 43, engage the leading edges of the work andpress the work feed rolls thus grip the work piece and advance material transversely of the seam, and pressing the seam while the material is being fed under tension.

1 2. The method of pressing a seam formed by thejoining of two pieces of sheet material in face-to-face relation adjacent to the edges of said pieces, which consists in applying forces to the material on opposite sides of the seam, which Y forces areso directed as to have components in it until the leading edge of the work pieceis en-.

gaged by the pressing roll. The effect of the feed rolls thereafter is to control the feed of the work piece by holding-it backagainst the tendency of the rapidly rotating pressing roll to eject it from the machine. The feed rolls II and I6 have another important function; they tension the work transversely of the seam. The axis of each of the feed rolls passes, not through the axis of the work support, but in advance of the axisof the work support (with respect to the directio offeed): and since, therefore, the axes of the feed rollsand the work support do not lie in a common plane, the feed rolls will not engage the work piece with the pure rolling contact, but will wipe or skid upon the surface 'of the work piece; the portion of each feed roll which gripsthe work will move in a direction having a component away from the seam, as well as a componentof feed control parallel to the seam. The components away from the seam will cause each roll. to exert a wipingaction upon the work piece inopposition to th other roll, and will thus result in a tensioning of the work piece between the two feed rolls. Such tensioningimproves the appearanceof the finished work.

the direction of the seam to control the feed of the work and components transverse to the seam to tension the work, and pressing the seam while the material is being fed under such tension.

3. Th method of pressing a seam formed by the joining of two pieces of sheet material in face-to-face relation adjacent to the edges of said pieces, which consists in feeding the work piece, wiping the portions of the work piece on opposite sides of the seam away from the seam to tension the work piece transversely of the seam, and pressing the seam while the material is being fed under tension.

MILTON H. ROSKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 296,869 Ober et a1 Apr'. 15, 1884 1,928,654 Osgood Oct. 3, 1933 

